There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.If you make a beeline for something, you ______ .
A.are as busy as a bee | B.go quickly and directly towards it |
C.always go to the same place | D.buy something at a certain place |
The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” _______ .
A.is not used at all now | B.was first used in the 1820s |
C.reminds us that bees have knees | D.means “it is very good” |
If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “______.”
A.It is none of your beeswax | B.You have a bee in your bonnet |
C.It is the bee’s knees | D.You are talking about the birds and bees |
When you have butterflies in your stomach, you ______ .
A.are too sick to sit still | B.have ants in your trousers |
C.are nervous about something | D.have a stomachache |
The passage mainly tells us _______.
A.some interesting and useful insects | B.some expressions about insects |
C.the way of learning expressions | D.some newly-invented expressions |
A university math tutor has discovered the science behind “singledom”, finding that our chances of finding the perfect partner are just 1 in 285,000. Peter Backus, a tutor at the University of Warwick, published his “Why I Don’t Have a Girlfriend” paper after a three-year love drought.
His unconventional study uses a famous math formula called The Drake Equation(德雷克等式), which was first used to estimate the existence of extra-terrestrial(地球以外) life.
The results don't look promising for British singles. 30-year-old Mr. Backus found that out of the 30 million women in the UK, only 26 would be suitable girlfriends for him.
The dull equation takes into account the number of women aged 24 to 34, living in his home city of London, and who are single, meaning his chances of meeting his dream woman on a night out are slim.
The economics expert said: “There are 26 women in London with whom I might have a wonderful relationship. So, on a given night out in London there is a 0.0000034% chance of meeting one of these special people. That’s a 1 in 285,000 chance, so it’s not great.”
The puzzling Drake equation reads: N =" R*" x Fp x Ne x Fi x Fc x L, and helped pioneering scientist Professor Drake to predict that there could be 10,000 civilizations in our galaxy.
Mr. Backus simply replaced the original equation with his own criteria for a dream date, which included the percentage of women likely to find him attractive, and the number of girls aged 24-34 in London. He said: “The research may sound depressing to people looking for love, but the good news for singles is, it’s probably not your fault!”
56. Mr. Backus’ discovery in this passage is mainly concerned about ______.
A. whether there exists life out of our planet
B. the possibility of his being able to find love
C. how to get rid of singledom
D. what math can do to serve our daily life
57. What does Mr. Backus think of the result of his research?
A. Optimistic. B. Depressing. C. Unrealistic. D. Exciting.
58. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Mr. Backus’ major research field is “singledom”.
B. Mr. Backus found a girlfriend three years ago.
C. Mr. Backus’ new thesis will surely be well received.
D. Mr. Backus has been searching for love for long.
59. By “the good news for singles” in the last sentence, Mr. Backus probably mean _____.
A. you don’t have to blame yourself for remaining single
B. maybe the discovery is not reliable at all
C. the result was based on his own criteria
D. there might be more dream date out of London
60. Which of the following statements is true?
A. This passage could be published in a scientific magazine.
B. The passage intends to prove there are other civilizations.
C. The passage writer doesn’t really understand the Drake equation.
D. Most women in London are not suitable for university teachers.
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Could your cellphone give you cancer? Whether it could or not, some people are worrying about the possibility that phones, powerlines and wi-fi (路由器) could be responsible for a range of illnesses, from rashes to brain tumours.
For example, Camilla Rees, 48, a former investment banker in the US, moved out of her apartment in San Francisco because of the radiation coming from next door. Rees told the Los Angeles Times that when her neighbors moved in and installed a wi-fi router she lost her ability to think clearly. “I would wake up dizzy in the morning. I’d fall to the floor. I had to leave to escape that nightmare,” she said. Since then, she’s been on a campaign against low-level electromagnetic fields, or EMFs(低频电磁场).
And she’s not alone. Millions of people say they suffer from headaches, depression, nausea and rashes when they’re too close to cellphones or other sources of EMFs.
Although the World Health Organization has officially declared that EMFs seem to pose little threat, governments are still concerned. In fact, last April, the European Parliament called for countries to take steps to reduce exposure to EMFs. The city of San Francisco and the state of Maine are currently considering requiring cancer-warning labels on cellphones.
If these fears are reasonable, then perhaps we should all be worried about the amount of time we spend talking on our phones or plugging into wi-fi hotpots.
Some say there is evidence to support the growing anxieties. David Carpenter, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University at Albany, in New York, thinks there’s a greater than 95% chance that power lines can cause childhood leukemia. Also there’s a greater than 90% chance that cellphones can cause brain tumours.
But others believe these concerns are unreasonable paranoia (猜疑). Dr Martha Linet, the head of radiation epidemiology at the US National Cancer Institute, has looked at the same research as Carpenter but has reached a different conclusion. “I don’t support warning labels for cellphones,” said Linet. “We don't have the evidence that there’s much danger.”
Studies so far suggest a weak connection between EMFs and illness — so weak that it might not exist at all. A multinational investigation of cellphones and brain cancer, in 13 countries outside the US, has been underway for several years. It’s funded in part by the European Union, in part by a cellphone industry group.
According to Robert Park, a professor of physics at the University of Maryland in the US, the magnetic waves aren’t nearly powerful enough to break apart DNA, which is how known threats, such as UV rays and X-rays, cause cancer.
Perhaps it’s just psychological. Some experts find that the electro-sensitivity syndrome seems to be similar to chemical sensitivity syndrome, which is a condition that’s considered to be psychological.
Whether EMFs are harmful or not, a break in the countryside, without the cellphone, would probably be good for all of us.
Title: Could cellphones give you cancer? |
|
Key points |
Supporting details |
Cellphones are (71)______ to use |
● Some people think it (72)______ for cellphones to cause cancer. ● Camilla Rees got ill after his neighbor installed a wi-fi router. ● Millions of people have the (73) _______ problems as Camilla. ● Some evidence supports people’s anxieties. |
Cellphones are safe to use |
● Some believe that these concerns are just paranoia. ● So far, studies show that there isn’t much (74)______ between EMFs and illness. ● Robert Park thinks that the magnetic waves aren’t powerful enough to (75)_______ DNA. ● It’s just for psychological (76)_______ that people feel ill when they use cellphones. |
Attitudes and (77)______ |
● Some governments are (78)_______ about the safety of cellphones or EMFs. ● The author thinks that we should(79)_______ the chance of talking on the phone or spend more time in the(80)_____ areas without cellphones. |
A new college guide in the United States compares educational requirements in seven subjects. These include math, science, writing and United States history or government. The other subjects are economics, foreign language and literature.
The free online guide is from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The council is a nonprofit group that supports liberal arts education.
Its president, Anne Neal, says these areas of knowledge are needed to succeed in a twenty-first century society and an increasingly connected world. Yet she told VOA’s Faiza Elmasry it was surprising how many students can graduate with, in her words, a “thin education.”
Forty-two of the one hundred colleges and universities surveyed received the lowest marks. This meant they required two or fewer of the seven subjects. Five schools received a top grade for requiring six subjects. These were Brooklyn College in New York City, Texas A&M, the University of Texas-Austin, West Point and the University of Arkansas.
Robert Costrell is a professor of education reform and economics at the University of Arkansas. He says many, if not all, of the top American colleges once had a core curriculum —a set of courses required for all students.
But over the years, many have dropped these requirements. Or they have watered them down, Professor Costrell says, into what became known as distribution requirements. This system lets a student choose from a number of different courses to satisfy a requirement.
ROBERT COSTRELL: “And in many cases these courses went too far, I would say, towards the fluffy treatment of serious material, and students could satisfy their requirement by taking such courses.”
Professor Costrell says schools should not only re-examine what they teach. They should also measure what students have learned — for example, through some form of examinations or papers.
A new report this week from the College Board showed that college prices continue to rise. But Anne Neal from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni says higher prices do not guarantee a better general education. In fact, the group found that the higher the tuition, the more likely that students have to develop their own general education.
The college guide is on the Web at whatwilltheylearn.com. Anne Neal says her group is surveying more colleges. The hope, she says, is to discover what college graduates have really learned, and how ready they are to compete in the global marketplace.
67. Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A scientific fiction.B. A research newspaper.
C. A fashion magazine.D. An entertainment newspaper.
68. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni does all the following EXCEPT _________.
A. support liberal arts education
B. concern itself with education in America
C. devote time to helping improve college education
D. make money by helping with college education
69. The words “watered them down” underlined in Paragraph 6 most likely mean “_______.”
A. reduced required coursesB. improved required courses
C. increased required coursesD. developed required courses
70. In this passage, the new college guide mainly tells its readers that American colleges should ______.
A. meet the requirements of the new century
B. reduce the number of required courses
C. have different standards on required courses
D. cut down on their tuitions
Escape to the Sunny Isles of the Caribbean Snowmageddon! What a rough winter for so many parts of the country! All of that snow and cold only makes planning a trip to the Caribbean even more delightful. Although the true delight will be seeing sunny skies and hitting the beach, you can make it happen today — read on for some Caribbean escapes that fit every style and budget. Sunshine here we come. |
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Half Moon Bay, the Great Winter Thaw - through April 15th, 2010![]() Book a six-night stay on the crescent-shaped white sand beaches of Half Moon Bay and receive a 7th night free and 10% off all sun and spa activities. Golfers will delight playing the renovated Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed 18-hole golf course. The resort also boasts 13 lit tennis courts, equestrian center, fitness center, superb cuisine, 51 swimming pools, Anancy Children’s Village, water sports, Dolphin Lagoon and more. The Spa at Half Moon features beachfront spa suites, water sculptures, hydrotherapy swimming pools, yoga pavilions, and therapeutic/healing spa treatments. To Book use Voucher code GWT10 and book by March 31, 2010 |
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Turks and Caicos Club Pictures in Paradise Package ![]() This 21-suite resort offers simple luxury with a touch of European sophistication. For $1,758 travelers can take advantage of the Pictures in Paradise Package which includes 3 nights in an oceanfront suite, daily breakfast, a half hour massage for two, a bottle of champagne and a one-hour photo session on the beach — along with a $75 credit towards pictures — to preserve your memories of beautiful Grace Bay Beach. |
63. According to the material above, we can learn that it is ________.
A. a tourist advertisementB. a real property advertisement
C. about studying abroadD. about oceanfront suite sales
64. Which of the following statements is NOT included in the passage?
A. You can experience at sea with $300 to spend if you book by April 1.
B. You can see the sunny skies and hit the beach in the Caribbean.
C. You can get 10% off some activities if you travel in Half Moon Bay.
D. You can have another night free if you stay in Half Moon Bay for six nights.
65. What can you enjoy for $ 1,758 in Turks and Caicos Club?
A. You can stay there for six nights in an oceanfront suite.
B. You can enjoy an hour massage twice a day.
C. You can have daily meals and a bottle of champagne.
D. You only need to pay $25 if all the pictures taken there cost $100.
66. Where is the travel agency?
A. In the Caribbean. B. In Norway. C. In Turkey.D. In Half Moon Bay.
Everywhere you look, large quantities of information in the world are pouring. This data flood is already starting to transform business, government, science and everyday life. It has great potential for good — as long as consumers, companies and governments make the right choices about when to restrict the flow of data, and when to encourage it.
A few industries have led the way in their ability to gather and take advantage of the data. Credit-card companies monitor every purchase and can identify cheats with a high degree of accuracy. Stolen credit cards are more likely to be used to buy hard liquor than wine, for example, because it is easier to overlook. Insurance firms are also good at combining clues to spot doubtful claims: dishonest claims are more likely to be made on a Monday than a Tuesday, since policyholders (保险客户) who stage accidents tend to assemble friends as false witnesses over the weekend. By combining many such rules, it is possible to work out which cards are likeliest to have been stolen, and which claims are untrue. By analyzing “basket data”, supermarkets can make promotions to appeal to particular customers’ preferences. The oil industry uses supercomputers to help them before drilling wells.
But the data flood also poses risks. There are many examples of databases being stolen: disks full of social-security data go missing, laptops loaded with tax records are left in taxis, credit-card numbers are stolen by online purchase. The result can be privacy made public, identity stolen and cheats permitted large space. Rather than owning and controlling their own personal data, they very often find that they have lost control of it.
The best way to deal with the data flood is to make more data available in the right way, by requiring greater transparency in several areas. First, users should be given greater access to and control over the information held about them, including whom it is shared with. Google allows users to see what information it holds about them, and lets them delete their search histories or modify the targeting of advertising, for example. Second, organizations should be required to disclose details of security breaches, as is already the case in some parts of the world, to encourage bosses to take information security more seriously. Third, organizations should be subject to an annual security check, with the resulting grade made public (though details of any problems exposed would not be). This would encourage companies to keep their security measures up to date.
59. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Information FloodB. Benefits of Data Flood
C. Harms of Data FloodD. How to Use Data in a Right Way
60. From the passage we can infer that ________.
A. lots of data are lost because of hardware problems
B. online purchases are becoming more and more popular
C. credit cards are not so secure to use and will go out of use very soon
D. insurance firms have to investigate before they confirm their policyholders’ claims
61. Which of the following is the writer’s opinion about how to deal with the data flood?
A. Personal information should be used for public benefits.
B. The users should be given the right to access public information.
C. Companies should update their measures to guarantee their data safety.
D. Organizations should keep their resulting grade of security checks unknown to the public.
62. From the passage we can conclude that _________.
A. the data flood makes peoples’ life less convenient and more expensive
B. companies and insurance firms are responsible for the data flood
C. the information flood is more useful to organizations than to individuals
D. the information flood has both positive and negative influence on modern life